December 21, 2006
They certainly like publishing lists over at Next Generation, and we enjoy reading them.A feature listing Gaffes and Blunders in 2006 includes a section on Miami attorney Jack Thompson's failed legislative effort in Louisiana. From the article, penned by Matt Matthews:
It just wouldn't be the same business without perennial clown Jack Thompson to provide the tragicomic relief. This year, Jack can claim three spectacular achievements. First, he wrote legislation for the state of Louisiana to ban the sale of violent videogames. This stinker of a law... (was) killed with a permanent injunction in late November.
The Next Gen article reminds readers of Thompson's well-publicized failed to block the release of Bully as well:
Jack's second assault on the Gulf states took place in Florida where he waged a battle against the release of Rockstar's schoolyard game for the Sony PlayStation 2, Bully. Thompson filed a suit in Miami-Dade circuit court... A patient Judge Ronald Friedman watched Bully being played and subsequently deemed it no worse than nightly television...
Matthews also laments the continuing run of video game legislation, which saw 2006 laws passed - and defeated - in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Minnesota.
Comments
Bashing "He who doesn't DESERVE to be named" is pointless. It's been said and is worth saying again that there are problems within the video game industry that need to be examined, dissected and dealt with. This is absolutely true. Daniel; your comment on another thread that the video game industry is innocent smacks of a short attention span. The video game industry is not "totally" innocent. Granted, they are not the monsters that mr lawyer says they are but they are far from innocent. They look at their profit margin and dollars vs customer. All bigger companies do. To say they are totally blameless in everything is absolutely wrong. His methods are deplorable but I can understand where he's coming from. The first generation of gamers (mine) IS older, these games ARE targeted at us but younger people will always get their hands on them. Everyone seems to be focusing on where they should now. ESRB ratings and PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY. If we can stick with that and stop this foolish wasting of taxpayer money on failed laws we'll all get over it.
$10 for within 24 hours
You laugh yourself to sleep at night, me too!
To Daniel sir,
I agree with you good sir, Jack Thompson has been blowing lies on video games since I am a newcomer to this gamepolitics. Why does people still want to support this nincompoop lawyer who spreads lies day by day and night by night?
And Jotun, yeah, those PS3 commercials are screwy. "Oh wow! It makes eggs roll, toss 'em into a wall, and turn 'em into ravens!!" Put simply, WTF?
uh-oh typo I think you mean well-publicized failure not well publicized failed.
Yes, it is sad. It's so sad I have to laugh myself to sleep every night.
@MastedPixelante
But I don't want my rubix cube to 'xplode!
And I honestly don't get why a creepy baby doll crying is supposed to make me want to buy their system.
Avtually, the ESRB is and has always been industry run and funded. It was made to avoid government regulation, some people in government seem to want it gone so they can have total control.
Thank you for your comment. As to the last thing you said about why people listen to him, I have no answer to that. No one should ever listen to him and you're totally right.
@ Eville
I guess you're right. The video game industry has made mistakes in their taxes, if that's what you're trying to say. However, I am only saying that violent content in video games is totally innocent. That's what I'm defending. I know that video games don't make people violent.
@ hayabusa75
I know that the ESRB was formed to keep violent games away from young people. I think that's wrong because I don't think that violent content in games, makes anybody violent. I renounce the idea that it does completely. I started playing violent video games many years ago, in the 90's. I haven't been effected at all, so I know it's not true that these games make people violent. I mean they're just images on a screen.
How can that effect anybody? The ESRB was created for conservative old people, who wanted to be re-elected and be at ease with their accomplishments in D. C., made a fuss about video game violence. They made the video game industry create the ESRB because they believed the lies of anti-game fanatics.
I'll end this with a complete refutation of the lies of anti-game activists. They claim that violent video games make people unaware of the world around them. I've been playing for a very long time and I am fully aware of the world around me. They claim that video games make people violent and want to kill. I don't want to kill anybody and have never even thought about it. They claim that video gamers are losers with fried frontal lobes. I'm in college. That's why they're all lies and liars. Please tell me, why should violent video games be restricted? In light of all this, why should they be regulated by the ESRB? They don't cause harm and all the arguments against video game violence are complete lies. Please tell me how their lies are true.
Yeah, the PS3 launch was bad... almost laughable. I don't get the joke, Sony.
Mr. Jack Thompson sir, is not only a crusader against video games but also a crusader against freedom. But sadly he failed miserably in all the cases and lawsuits in attempt to ban freedom and video games. Sad isn't?
One word of advice to this simpleton lawyer, "When a case can't be argued, shut up and work on your closing."
You're wasting your time and breath; Daniel thinks that the ESRB should be abolished and that it's ok for little kids to play Manhunt, Scarface, etc.
If I can remember clearly though, the PS3 commercials (not only the launch like you said) were also laughable, especially the baby commercial, it has the creepy feel, if you ask me though.
wonderful post...